Synopsis
Kevin O'Malley is going for joke with a tongue-and-chicken barn yarn that's sure to appeal to fans of his New York Times bestseller, Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share. Turning the Grimm's fairy tale The Brementown Musicians on its funny bone, O'Malley has revised the classic story of four animals who part ways with their respective farmers to explore their artistic sides, this time sending them in search of belly laughs . . . and a great location for a comedy club. When they foil a band of robbers using their joke-telling talents, the animals— including one determined comedi-hen—finally prove they can kill the crowd with laughter.
Children's Literature
This large picture book with a handsomely illustrated dust jacket is a thinly-disguised in-your-face joke book about a hen that wants to appear on stage in a comedy show. She wants to be a "comedi-hen." She eventually encounters a dog, then a cat, and finally a cow who also want to be comedians. One day while they are together, they stumble upon three robbers in a deserted house.. After foiling the criminals' plans to rob a bank, the four jokesters take control of the house for their comedy club and their dream is realized. Many of the jokes employ double meanings and words that sound alike but have different meanings. The author's colorful page-size illustrations are engaging and all of the text is in boxes. Reviewer: Eleanor Heldrich